The purpose of Core B is to provide a Program for Pilot/Feasibility Studies in association with the HCV Persistence Study Group (HPSG). Core B will be located in Dr. Chung's laboratory/office complex at the Liver Center/Gastrointestinal Division of Massachusetts General Hospital. The main goals of Core B are to administer and oversee the Pilot/Feasibility Studies Program of the HPSG. The specific tasks of Core B will be to: (a) solicit applications for the PES program annually; (b) provide a mechanism for scientific peer review of the PES applications; (c) monitor research progress; and (d) to organize an annual scientific symposium (in conjunction with the annual visit of the U19 External Scientific Advisory Group) for PES awardees to present their research findings; In this regard. Core B will be closely intertwined with the operations of Core A (Administrative), as there will be substantive thematic overlap between the two cores. It is expected that one of the key benefits of Core B's activities will be to foster additional scientific interactions between members of the local scientific community and the PIs of the HPSG program.